Folding table and bench



y 1950 R. A. BARCUS 2,506,852

FOLDING TABLE AND BENCH Filed March 15, 1948 Patented May 9, 1950 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE 4. Claims.

My invention relates to an articulated furniture article, and hasparticular reference to. such a structure that may be disposed as atable with an integral bench in, one form, and maybe dis posed as abench with a back rest in another form.

While furniture articles embodying my invention may be employed as anitem of householdfurniture, the invention will. be describedwithreference to a furniture article designed primarily for outdoor use.Accordingly the table form may be usedas a picnic or barbecue: table,and the bench form may be utilized at times when actually eating orpreparation therefor arenot in progress.

pivoting action, together with an actuation of hinged members;

It is an object of my invention to provide an articulated furniturearticle disposable selectively as a table with integral benches, or as abenchwith a back rest.

Another object" of my invention is to provide an articulated furniturearticle having a stationary frame and bench and having a movable memberdisposable as: a back restor as a; table top for use by persons seatedon the bench.

A further object of my invention is to provide an articulated furnitureitem disposable as: a table with integral benches. along each sidethereof and disposable in another form as two oppositely facing bencheswith back rests.

Another object of my invention is. to: provide a single bench-likemember having a movable. element disposable as a table top for use witha bench or as a back rest for the. single bench;

Other objects; and advantages of my invention will be apparent in thefollowing description and claims, considered together with theaccompanying drawings, in. which Fig. I is a. perspective view of apresently preferred embodiment of the invention disposed as a. tablewith benches along. each side thereof;

Fig. 21s a perspective View of the table of Fig. 1' disposed in theform. of: oppositely facing benches. having back rests;

Fist 3 is an end View of the: furniture article of Figs. 1 and 2'showing one portion thereof disposed as a bench with a back: rest, andthe other portion thereof disposed as a bench with a table top; and.

Fig. 4 is an end view of a. modified form of the invention embodying 1a.single bench and a single movable element disposable either as a tabletop or as a back rest.

The conversion from one form to the other maybe eflected by a; simpleReferring to Figs. 1 through 3, the furniture article illustrated may beidentified generally by the. numeral It, and may include parallelground, rails ll upon which may be fastened. bench supports I2 disposedone at. each end of eachv rail H. Disposed between. the. bench supportsl2 of opposite. rails on either end thereof may be. bench seat. members.l3 so as to provide. the furniture article ID. with: two: benches.

Each ground rail H may be provided with. two uprights l4. projectingupwardly an amount approximately level with. (a. suitable table heightfor use with the benches, l3. A table (Figs. 1 and 3) may be formed fromtwo flat or plane members I5 which are movable to the position shown inFig. 2 to become back rests l5u. for use. with the, benches l3.

The mechanism for effecting this transition. from table to bench. andvice versa is provided. particularly in accordance with my invention,and in general includes a rigid pivoted arm secured to one edge of theplane members l5 and a hinged or articulated arm disposed at the otheredge. Accordingly each ground rail H may have pivoted thereto a rigidarm l6 secured thereto by a pin H, the outer end of which is connectedby a pin l8 to the edges of the plane members- IE closest to the benchesl3. Articulated arms [9 may have two separate portions l9a and Hlbconnected by elbows or hinges 2|. One end of each arm IS! may be pivotedby a pin 22 adjacent the upper end of the uprights M, and the other endof the articulated arms l9 may be pivoted to the other side of the planemembers l5, preferably by means of hinges 23. Accordingly, therefore,the two plane members 15- will each have rigid lever arms l6, that is,one disposed on either end; and will each have two articulated artms I9,that is, one disposed on, each end, but on the side opposite from thesolid" lever arms Hi.

The disposition of my furniture article as: a. table is illustrated inFigs. 1 and 3. There it will be noted that the solid lever arms l6 areparallel to, and bearagainst, the associated uprights l4, and thereforerigidly support the edges of the plane members l5 adjacent the benchesl3. The two-piece arms I!!- are in their bent position, whereupon theforearm portion 19b rests: against stop blocks 24- so as to give a strutsup port to the outboard edge of each table member [5. Further, theinclined position of the arm members i=9bcauses the weight of the tabletov act against the stopblocks 24 to pull the rigid arms is tightagainst the upri hts I l.

The table form of Figs. 1 and 3 may be converted into the bench form ofFigs. 2 and 3 by merely lifting the weight of the outboard edges of theplane members l5, causing the arm portion [9b to lift off of the stopblocks 24. The plane members I 5 may then be rotated about the upperpins l8 of the rigid arms [6 until they assume a generally verticalposition, at which time the entire plane members 15 may be translatedaway from the upright posts l4 and the arms I9 may be simultaneouslystraightened. This action disposes the plane members l5 in the positionillustrated in Fig. 2, wherein they form back rests I5a. The transitionback to the table form may be effected by breaking the articulated arms[9 and swinging the plane members l5a, together with the associatedrigid arms IE, to a generally vertical position, at which point theplane members is may jackknife to a horizontal position, as illustratedin Fig. 1.

The joint between the two portions Illa and l9b of the articulated armsI9 is preferably so arranged as to form a rigid member when the arm isstraightened. Accordingly the hinge 2| may be disposed upon the lowersurface of the arms l9, and the adjoining ends may be cut square so asto abut. Any manual weight or resting upon the arms will then beresisted by the arm itself, and without changing the position of theback rest I511.

In the actual construction of my furniture article it will, of course,be desirable to use various reinforcements, and accordingly, if desired,the plane members l5 may be provided with end strips 25. These endstrips 25 may project beyond the edge of the plane members [5 adjacentthe benches so as to act as a striking bar for contact with the benchesI3, as illustrated in Fig. 2. If, however, the plane members l5 are madeof rigid materials such as fairly thick plywood, such reinforcingmembers may be dispensed with. Likewise the joint of the benches l3 withtheir supports I2 may be reinforced by angle blocks 26, if desired.

Any desired shape of the various parts may be utilized, and I prefer toform the outer ends of the ground rails II and their associated seatsupports l2 in curved form so as to give a graceful effect.

Any desired material of construction may be employed, and while atpresent I prefer to use redwood lumber, it is obvious that any type oflumber material could be utilized, as well as steel, plastic, aluminum,and other structural materials.

Illustrated in Fig. 4 is a modified form of my invention wherein only a,single seat and a single plane member are utilized. Accordingly twospaced ground rails 30 may have seat supports 3| secured thereto, aswell as uprights 32 which may be rigidly secured to both members'by anysuitable means, as by bolts 33. A bench 34 may extend between twoassociated ground rails and bench supports, and a rigid lever arm 35 maybe pivoted to each ground rail 30.

A transposable plane member 36 may be supported on one edge by the twoopposite rigid arms 35, and on the outboard edge by an articulated arm31. This articulated arm 31 may have a forearm portion 31a abuttingagainst astop block 38 at the hinge joint thereof so as to provide aninclined strut support for the plane member 36. The size of the planemember 36 may be extended by utilizing a hinged outer strip 36aconnected to the main portion 36 as by a hinge 39.

The furniture article of Fig. 4 may be transposed to a bench with a backrest by merely lifting on the outer edge of the plane member 36, liftingthe lever arm portion 31a off of the stop block 38 until the planemember reaches a generally vertical position. Thereafter it may betranslated to the position shown in broken outline, at which point thearticulated arm 31 will become straight and rigid. Inasmuch as the fullwidth of the plane members 36 and 36a is not required for a back rest,the hinged portion 36a may be allowed to fold back of the main part 36.

The modification of Fig. 4 is useful in the same fashion as the largerembodiment of Figs. 1 through 3, except that it will accommodate fewerpeople. It is desirable in constructing this single element furniturearticle to extend the ground rail 30 so as to provide ample supportagainst tipping, either forwardly or backwardly.

Although I have described my invention with respect to specificembodiments thereof, I do not limit myself to these embodiments, norotherwise, since it is obvious that various modifications could be madetherein without departing from the true spirit and scope of myinvention. Accordingly I include within the limits of my invention allsuch modifications having similar functional results.

I claim:

1. An articulated furniture article comprising a bench including a seatand a support therefor at either end thereof, an upright post rigidlysecured to each bench support adjacent the forward edge thereof, a rigidlever arm pivoted to each of the bench supports and movable intoabutment with one of the vertical posts, a plane member fastened at oneedge to the upper end of the rigid lever arms, articulated lever armspivotally secured respectively between the tops of the posts and theother edge of the plane member, and a stop block positioned on each ofthe bench supports at the forward edge thereof approximately at the seatlevel thereof to engage the lever arm at the point of articulation,whereby the articulated arms may be broken to support the plane memberas a table top by acting as struts extending from the stop blocks, andwhereby the articulated members may support the plane member as a backrest when in an extended position.

2. An articulated furniture article comprising two parallel benchesjoined by common ground rails, each of said benches including a seat andbench support at either end of the seat, vertical posts secured to eachbench support adjacent the forward edges thereof, rigid lever armspivoted to each bench support outwardly from the posts and adapted tobe'moved into abutment therewith, a plane member for each benchpivotally secured at one edge to the upper end of the associated pair ofrigid lever arms, an articulated arm pivoted to each upright postadjacent the top thereof and pivotally connected to the other edge ofthe associated plane member, and stop blocks disposed on each benchsupport to engage the arm at the point of articulation, whereby thearticulated arms may be broken to support the plane members as adjacenttable top elements by acting as struts extending from the stop blocks,and whereby the articulated arms may be extended to cooperate with theseats to support the plane members as back rests for the benches.

3. An articulated furniture article comprising two parallel benchesjoined by common ground rails, each of the benches including a seat anda support therefor at either end thereof, vertical posts rigidly securedto each bench support adjacent forward edges thereof, rigid lever armspivoted to each bench support outwardly from the posts and adapted to bemoved into abutment therewith, a plane member for each bench pivotallysecured to the upper end of the associated pair of rigid lever arms, anarticulated arm pivoted to each upright post adjacent the top thereofand pivotally connected to the other edge of the associated planemember, and stop blocks disposed on each bench support to engage the armat the point of articulation, whereby the articulated arms may be brokento support the plane members as adjacent table top elements by acting asstruts extending from the stop blocks, and whereby the articulated armsmay be extended to cooperate with the seats to support the plane membersas back rests for the benches, said articulated arms having a hingejoint disposed at the bottom edge when in an extended position and alsohaving square ends that abut when the arm is extended, so that a rigidarm is formed in the extended position.

4. An articulated furniture article comprising a bench including a seatand a support therefor at either end thereof, upright posts rigidlysecured to each bench support adjacent the forward end thereof, a rigidlever arm pivotally secured to each bench support and rotatable intoabutment with the posts on the side toward the seat, a plane memberpivotally secured at one edge to the rigid lever arms and of a widthsufficient to act as a back rest for the bench, an articulated armpivoted to the top of each upright post and extending to the other edgeof the plane member, a stop block on each bench support to engage saidarms at the point of articulation, and an extension hinged to said otheredge of the plane member to increase the table top area thereof, wherebyan extended table top area may be formed supported by the rigid arm anda portion of the articulated arms acting as struts, and whereby a backrest may be formed by transposing the plane member to the back of thebench, whereat the hinged extension may be allowed to drop back of theplane member.

RUSSELL A. BARCUS.

REFERENCES CITED the following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

